


Hiding in the Rain

by asphodelknox



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: First Love, Fluff, M/M, Pining, Young Love, cuteness, lots of harry's dimples, lots of louis's crinkly eyes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-15
Updated: 2018-07-15
Packaged: 2019-06-09 23:13:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,348
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15278307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/asphodelknox/pseuds/asphodelknox
Summary: Louis’s used to the bullies. However, that doesn’t mean he doesn’t enjoy Harry Styles dragging him off on adventures to avoid them.Part of the 2018 Wordplay Fic Challenge





	Hiding in the Rain

**Author's Note:**

> This is part of a Wordplay prompt challenge that a group of us are participating in for the prompt "Hope". To read the amazing fics that were written by the others on this prompt, [click here](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/wordplay_hope/works), and to see all fics written as part of the challenge, [click here](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/wordplay_fic_challenge/works) or find the masterpost for this year’s challenge here.
> 
> Many thanks to my two betas: [Vivi](http://hlficpraise.tumblr.com/) and [Tabby](http://suddenclarityharry.tumblr.com/) for all their help!

“Niall, did you see that?” Harry asked, gaping across the lawn from where he and Niall sat perched on one of the banisters of the front staircase. It was a grey day, and there had been rain that morning, but almost every student had poured out of the high school to enjoy their free period outside.

“See what?” Niall asked, looking up from his notebook. The look in his eye told Harry he’d been too engrossed in whatever he was writing to fully engage with Harry. 

“That,” Harry said and pointed to where he saw Louis Tomlinson standing alone, looking dejectedly down at the wet grass where Carson had just thrown Louis’s bag, upending notebooks, textbooks, pens, and folders around his feet. 

Harry watched as Louis knelt down and started to gather up his things. Harry stood, and strode across the lawn, kneeling next to Louis and gathering some folders in his hands. “Are you alright?” Harry asked quietly. 

“Fine,” Louis said, looking up quickly and back down again. “I’m used to it.” He took the bundle of folders that Harry handed him. “Thanks, Harry.” He stood. 

“Do they do that every day?” Harry asked, standing with him. He and Louis weren’t friends, per se, more like acquaintances. But that didn’t prevent Harry from caring. Maybe too much. 

Louis shrugged. “It is what it is. Thanks again for the help, Harry.” 

He walked around Harry and back into the building. Harry stood there gazing after him for a minute before the bright tune of a bird overhead brought him back to the present. He jogged over to Niall, shaking his head at himself. 

“Did you ask him out?” Niall asked, hardly looking up from his notebook. 

Harry sighed. “No, Niall. I helped him pick up his stuff. Carson was an ass.” 

“Carson is always an ass,” Niall replied, finally looking up. 

“Louis just acted like it was normal,” Harry said, sitting down and huffing out a breath. He tugged on a strand of his hair, nervously curling it around his fingers.

“Haven’t you seen Carson do that before?” Niall asked. “He’s been after Louis for years. I know Liam tried to stop it once, but Louis wouldn’t let him.” 

Harry pinched the bridge of his nose. “That’s not fair.” 

“What’s not fair is you still not asking him out,” Niall said, going back to his notebook, scribbling out something quickly before the bell rang. 

“I can’t just walk up to him and ask him out,” Harry said. “That’d be too obvious.” 

Niall rolled his eyes. “So ask him for a walk during free period. It’ll get him away from the bullies.” 

“What’re you saying exactly?” Harry said, uncertain he’d heard Niall correctly. 

“Ask Louis to go for a walk. Tell him it’s to get the bullies off his trail.” Niall said slowly, like he was explaining Candyland to a six-year-old. “Do that every day, and eventually you might end up in each other’s laps making out.”

“Just cause it happened with you and Shawn…”

Niall grinned. “It could totally work, mate. Trust me.” 

Harry wasn't sure he did. But, Niall was right. It would get Louis away from Carson and his bullying tendencies. And it would get Harry time to spend with Louis too. 

Maybe Niall was on to something.

 

 

“Is this a friendship or a hostage situation?” Louis asked as Harry slowly shut the door of the janitor closet behind them, leaving a gap to look through. In the dark of the closet, Louis could just see the outline of Harry’s broad shoulders blocking his view of the hall outside the door. Harry’s large hand on his back had been distracting enough in the moment, as it gently pushed him inside amongst the brooms and cleaning supplies. Now, he was just confused. 

Harry shrugged and blushed from where he stood by the door. “Depends on how you look at it.” He glanced back at Louis with a grin and watched the students rushing between classes, the door slightly ajar. Louis ran a hand through his hair, tugging on the slightly-longer-than-he-liked strands. Hadn’t a teacher seen them walk into the closet? Other students?

It had happened so fast. One minute Harry was asking Louis if he’d like to take a walk during free period, the next Harry was ushering him into the janitor’s closet as students poured past them. Harry seemed mostly oblivious to Louis’s discomfort and shifted from foot to foot as he watched the hallways slowly empty for class. 

“Harry, please tell me what’s going on,” Louis said with a sigh. Honestly, the bullies had been easing up lately… why’d Harry fucking Styles have to come out of the woodwork as a closet bully? Didn’t he know terrible things happened in janitor closets? Louis had never expected it from the soft-spoken, friendly-with-everyone, practically angelic Harry Styles. 

Harry creaked close the door a bit more and peeked out. Louis fidgeted with his fingers. “Harry?” He asked, bracing himself for the inevitable shove into the back wall.

Instead, Harry smiled easily as he looked out the door frame. “I wanted to do something about the bullies.” Louis raised his eyebrows. That wasn’t what he expected at all. Harry glanced back at him and Louis got the feeling there was something else Harry wasn’t saying. Louis searched Harry’s face for a moment, the darkness hiding most of him, but Harry’s easy stance and the way he bit his lip put Louis at a bit of ease.

“That’s really kind, Harry,” Louis started. “But I’m pretty sure Carson has had it out for me since the 6th grade. If anything hiding in a closet will make his job easier.” 

“Not if he can’t find you.” Harry murmured under his breath. The final bell rang and the hallway emptied of students, the stark silence infiltrating the closet after several moments of hustle and bustle. Louis raised one of his eyebrows. Again, not the answer he’d been expecting.

“We better be missing free period for a good reason, Styles. Mrs. Johnson will have our head.” Louis said lightly. 

Harry shut the door and clicked on the light, settling down on an upside down bucket. Louis leaned against the opposite wall, looking at Harry appraisingly. There wasn’t much space in the four-foot wide closet, but at least the bullies wouldn’t find him here. The last thing Louis wanted today was Carson and his minions dumping his bag over the floor. He’d finally come up with a conclusion to his story and had hurriedly written it down in his history notebook. He wasn’t keen on anyone else finding it and he wanted to get home in one piece to type it up.

“I just noticed that Carson’s been a bit of a jerk,” Harry said, looking at Louis in a way that lacked judgment and was filled with empathy. Louis didn’t realize Harry had even noticed.

“That’s an understatement,” Louis muttered, feeling his cheeks turn red under Harry’s scrutiny.

“But I figure,” Harry said with a shrug, “that if they can’t find you, they’ll eventually lose interest.”

“I didn’t know you were such an expert on bullies,” Louis said. Having a conversation about how much the bullies suck was not what he’d expected when Harry had asked him to take a walk with him. He would have gone anywhere with Harry but that was beside the point.

“I had my head flushed enough times in elementary school,” Harry said. “Bullies just want the attention. Stop giving it to them, and they’ll stop bullying.” 

Louis blew a strand of hair out of his face. He liked it longer, but it was just to the point where it started falling into his eyes. Louis ran his hand through his hair again. “I don’t know if it’s quite that simple. Carson hasn’t stopped bullying me since elementary school and I’ve tried everything in the book. I’m just waiting it out till we all graduate next year.” 

“You shouldn’t have to do that,” Harry said. 

Louis shrugged. “I don’t have much choice.”

“Of course you do. That’s why I’m here.” Harry said with a smirk, crossing his arms over his chest and looking satisfied. He exuded confidence and Louis wondered where it came from. Harry seemed to walk through life with such ease, even if he was a klutz.

Louis stared at Harry, his proud grin making his dimples pop. Louis sighed, but grinned back and shook his head with more fondness than he should have shown. Zayn would lecture him later for being so far gone for Harry and for wearing his heart on his sleeve.

“Are we going to spend all of free period in the janitor’s closet?” Louis finally asked, gesturing around them. “Not that I don’t find cleaning completely fascinating.”

Harry shrugged. “We don’t have to. I got permission from Mrs. Johnson for us to spend free period outside of the classroom. But I thought making you disappear was a good first step in shaking off the bullies.” 

“You sound like you’ve thought this through,” Louis said, his eyebrows rising to his hairline. How could Harry Styles possibly spend that much time thinking about  _ him _ ? And why was he all of a sudden helping Louis with the bullies that had been a constant in his school days since he was eleven years old?

“I was complaining about Carson to my friend Niall the other day,” Harry said, looking around him at the mops, brooms, and cleaning supplies, avoiding Louis’s questioning stare. “Niall told me to just shut up and do something about it.” 

Louis chuckled. “That sounds like something Zayn would tell me.” 

“You and Zayn have been friends since elementary school, right?” 

Louis nodded. “We met the first day of kindergarten. I wanted to borrow his blue crayon and then he announced to the entire class that we were going to play together at recess.” 

Harry laughed, a bright loud laugh that would definitely give them away if the bullies were in the hallway. But Louis almost didn’t mind. He couldn’t help but laugh too. 

“When Zayn met Liam,” Louis continued, “I think he said something about Liam being the missing piece to our trio. I don’t think he gave Liam a choice about being our friend.” He smiled at the memory. Zayn’s sassy exuberance had brought Louis and Liam out of their shells more times than he could count.

“That’s how Niall was with me,” Harry said fondly. “I was the new kid and Niall just swung his arm around my shoulders and drug me around, like he’d adopted a puppy or something.”

“Did you mind?” Louis asked with a grin. 

“Nope,” Harry said. “I’d have a much less interesting social life without Niall.” 

“Is he really always throwing a party?” Louis asked. Niall had a reputation throughout their high school. He was the life of the party and was friends with everyone. Louis appreciated his easy smile and cheerful “Hi, Louis!”every time they passed in the halls.

Harry shook his head. “He just goes to them all. He loves everyone.”

“He’s easily loveable, I suppose,” Louis replied.  

They looked at each other in silence for a few minutes, and Louis’s cheeks turned pink again. Harry gazed curiously at Louis, and it was Louis’s turn to avoid his eyes and pretend to find the bleach cleaner absolutely fascinating. He was suddenly very aware that he was in very close quarters with a very attractive boy who seemed very intent on staying with him. 

“We should do this again,” Harry said into the silence, tucking a strand of his long brown curls behind his ear. He was smiling shyly at Louis, his toes angled in towards each other, his hands clasped in between his knees. He looked up at Louis without any malice or ulterior motive, just his green eyes that, for a moment, Louis thought he could get lost in. Louis felt his skepticism crumble. 

“That’d be great.” He said with a smile. Maybe terrible things didn’t  _ always _ happen in janitor closets.

 

 

Harry met Niall on the soccer field after school. The smirk on Niall’s face told Harry that he was wearing his heart on his sleeve. Harry couldn’t find it in himself to mind much. He was still on a bit of a high from spending an hour with Louis, just the two of them. His plan had worked.

“How was free period with your boy in the janitor’s closet?” Niall asked, before doubling over in laughter. “That sure is a sentence, isn’t it?” Niall looked up at Harry and slugged him in the arm. 

Harry grinned and bit his lip. “He’s not my boy, Niall.” Niall just looked at him skeptically, his eyes alight with mirth. Harry sighed. “Alright, it was really fun. He said he wanted to do it again.” 

Niall snickered. 

“Niall Horan,” Harry started, “get your mind out of the gutter. We just talked. And Carson didn’t bother him today, which was the point.” 

Niall shrugged. “Talking leads to other things.” They began to walk towards the parking lot. “It’s not like you haven’t spent the past two years going on and on about him. Were you able to stop staring into his baby blues long enough to have a good conversation?” 

Harry blushed completely at this. He couldn’t even refute it. He’d been crushing on Louis for years. Louis’s perfect blue eyes were just one of the many things he liked about him. They shared classes, had worked on projects together, and every single time Harry had tried to figure out a way to get closer to Louis, he’d come up blank with ideas. He couldn’t just ask Louis to hang out… that would be suspicious.

Frankly, Harry thought it was ridiculous that Carson still held his grudge. Didn’t Carson and his friends have anything better to do? And why Louis of all people? Bright as the sun, happy and heartfelt, crinkly-eyed Louis Tomlinson didn’t deserve the bullying. 

Harry climbed into Niall’s car and realized with a start that he knew why Carson bullied Louis. Louis had kissed a boy who was friends with Carson. Carson, the homophobic ass that he was, couldn’t let it drop though, not for almost six years. Harry suspected maybe Carson had some unsorted issues of his own.

Harry remembered it because it had been his first year after his parents moved him to a new school. It was a big drama in the sixth grade and it was what had first drawn Harry to Louis. Harry was relieved to find out he wasn’t the only one who wanted to kiss boys and ever since he’d had a soft spot for Louis. That soft spot had grown to the crush he now had. 

The all-consuming crush that Harry desperately wanted to be reciprocated. He wanted to just be near Louis as much as he could and he hoped that maybe there was something in him that Louis could love. 

“Harry, have you been listening?” Niall’s voice broke into Harry’s thoughts. 

“Sorry, what?” Harry replied, rubbing his eyes. 

“I just told you my sister got an iguana for Christmas,” Niall said. “I don’t have a sister. Or an iguana. And it’s April. What’re you thinking about?”

“My chemistry homework,” Harry said, pulling the first thing he thought of out of his head. He didn’t even have to turn his head to know how Niall was looking at him. 

“Harry.” 

“Niall.” 

Niall just shook his head and sighed good-naturedly. 

“I’m going to meet Shawn tonight for some writing. Do you want to join?” Niall asked, all trace of teasing gone from his voice. 

Harry smiled knowingly at his friend. “No. You two never actually write together anyways. You end up making out.” Niall started to object but Harry put his hand up. “Don’t think I don’t know.” 

“We’ve written some stuff!” Niall said defensively, but his grin proved otherwise. 

Harry rolled his eyes. Niall teased Harry for being obvious, but Niall’s fondness for Shawn was unmistakable. Harry just didn’t tease him about it as much.

Harry was nicer than Niall, after all.

  
  


Louis walked across the parking lot towards his car, the combination of rain overhead and Carson in his peripheral vision making him speed up. After Harry’s first inquiry, Louis had gone home confused about Harry’s sudden interest in asking him for walks. But he found that when Harry had asked him for another walk during free period today, Louis went, mostly because he was curious. 

_ And hopeful _ . He thought to himself.  _ But that’s ridiculous.  _

He shook his head at himself and tucked his hood closer around his face. He was almost to his car, and then he could head home, curl up with a cup of tea and his homework and maybe even…

A tap on his shoulder brought his thoughts to a grinding halt and he took in a deep breath before turning around.  _ Please be anyone but Carson. _ To his relief, Harry stood there, smiling so big his dimples made an appearance. 

“Hey, Louis,” Harry said. He didn’t have a hood, and the rain had dripped down his nose. His hair hung long, dripping water down his arms.  

It took a minute for Louis to respond, blinded by the dimples and a bit shocked he would maybe get through another day at school without being harassed. 

“Hi.” Louis’s voice squeaked and he cleared his throat to try again. “Hey, Harry. What’s up?” 

“Hey, I was just wondering,” Harry said as he shuffled on his feet, “do you have Mr. Smith’s World History class?” 

Louis blinked. “Uh, yeah, I do.” 

“Is there any chance I could borrow your notes from today?” Harry bit his lip. “Niall left early to hang out with his boyfriend, so I can’t ask him, and I’d like the notes tonight if I can.” He shuffled again. “I make flashcards.” 

Louis couldn’t help but grin, Harry seeming to realize how nerdy he sounded. Louis found himself helplessly endeared. He let his shoulders relax the whole way. “Sure, Harry.” He made to open his backpack. 

“Oh, I can walk with you to your car.” Harry said, glancing to his right where Louis knew Carson was still loitering. “That way you don’t have to juggle your bag.” 

Louis looked at Harry curiously. “Alright.” He turned and Harry fell into step next to him. “Did you skip another period?” Louis asked, glancing sideways at Harry. 

“No, I just…” Harry paused, thinking. “I just couldn’t focus. It’s my last period and I just had a lot on my mind.” 

Louis hummed. “Anything in particular?” 

Harry paused again before answering. “I submitted a personal essay to a contest for high school students last week. The grand prize is being published in the magazine and an online nonfiction writing course. I really want it.”

Louis unlocked his car, opened his door and started sifting through his backpack. “I didn’t know you were a writer.”

Harry shrugged. “I mostly write personal stuff, essays, and songs and that sort of thing. Occasionally Niall and I write together, but he’s been doing a lot of ‘not writing’”, Harry made quotation marks with his fingers, “with Shawn, so. I’ve been writing more on my own.” 

Louis passed Harry his history notes. “Maybe we could write together sometime. I write fiction mostly, but we could always share the space at least.” 

Harry gaped at Louis for a moment, before recovering. “That’d be great, actually. I’m a better writer when I write with other people.”

Louis smiled. “I am too.” He zipped up his backpack. “Do you need a ride home?” 

Harry laughed surprisedly. “Actually, yeah, that’d be great.” He walked around to the other side of the car and they both climbed in. “I normally get a ride with Niall, but… boyfriends.” He said with a shrug. 

Louis started his car. “Have Niall and Shawn been together long? I didn’t know they were dating.” 

“They’ve been together for maybe six months?” Harry said. “They don’t really advertise it. Shawn’s mom made some comment about high schoolers being so mean, especially to gay guys.” 

Louis scoffed. “I can understand that.” He pulled out onto the street, and towards the area of town he knew Harry lived in.

He saw Harry glance at him sideways. “For what it’s worth,” Harry started, “I really respected you in the sixth grade. Handling how Carson reacted when you kissed his friend. It made me feel less alone.” 

Louis swallowed and gripped the steering wheel tightly. He’d come to terms with what Zayn called his “Carson-inducing mishap”. He’d come to terms with who he was. He also hadn’t dated, because why would he want to add insult to injury and play with fire? He always told himself he could date in college, where it didn’t matter who he slept with and people minded their own business. 

But now, Harry saying he actually respected Louis, that Louis’s experience made him feel less alone, made Louis’s insides do some funny things. He hadn’t felt that validated… ever.

“You’re… not straight either?” Louis asked hesitantly. 

Harry shook his head. “Nope. I had just figured it out when I moved here. I had no idea what to do, but you kissed that boy, didn’t care, and just dealt with Carson’s shit. I should have told you ages ago, but better late than never I suppose.” 

“Thank you,” Louis said. “Good to know I’m not the only one.”

“Definitely not,” Harry said and he leaned forward to turn the radio on. The classical station came through the speakers and Harry grinned over at Louis. 

“I shouldn’t be surprised you like classical music,” he said, as Beethoven’s The Tempest filled the car. The music made Louis smile and blush at Harry’s statement. He couldn’t help it. Louis knew it wasn’t “cool”, but he and his mum listened to classical music all the time.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Louis asked, glancing at Harry nervously and seeing only amusement in his eyes.

Harry shrugged. “I like it too.” He said, avoiding the question. “Especially The Tempest. My mom played it a lot when she was pregnant with me.”

Louis hummed, and turned back to the road, trying to will the blush from his cheeks. They drove the rest of the way to Harry’s in silence, the bright keys of The Tempest playing briskly in the background. 

 

 

Louis headed towards his free period classroom after lunch, waving goodbye to Zayn and Liam as they headed off to French. He walked slower than he usually did, trying to tamp down the hope rising in his heart. 

Harry had asked him to go for a walk every free period for two weeks. Every day, Louis tried not to get his hopes up, but every day he had walked into Mrs. Johnson’s free period classroom and Harry had asked him to go for a walk and he’d gone without a second thought. 

At first, Louis was just glad to be away from the bullies. It was like Harry created this magical, golden bubble of safety around them and Louis went home after a week of no interaction with the bullies feeling lighter than he had in years. 

His mother had even noticed and when he’d told her about Harry, she’d smiled in such a way that suggested she knew something he didn’t. He didn’t ask her about it, just let her hug him and hope the next week was the same. 

And it had been. 

Now, it was Monday again, and Louis walked into the classroom with his bag over slung over his shoulder. He hadn’t even made it to a desk when Harry strode up to him. 

“Hey Lou,” he said, the nickname sliding easily off his tongue and into Louis’s heart. “Want to go for a walk?” 

Louis grinned and nodded. “Definitely.” 

Harry checked in with Mrs. Johnson and led Louis out of the room. “I have a surprise for you today,” Harry said as he fell into step beside Louis. 

“I love surprises,” Louis replied with a grin. Harry flashed a knowing smile his way.

“I thought so.” Harry stopped and opened a door in the next hallway. Louis stared at him. 

“Harry, that’s the teacher’s lounge,” Louis said. He peeked past Harry’s shoulder to see into the room. 

“Yep.” Harry grinned and gestured for Louis to go first. 

“How did you swing this?” Louis said as he walked in. “Did you get permission or are we crashing?” 

Harry shrugged. “My mom’s a guidance counselor. She said we could hang out here during free period.” 

“Wow,” Louis said, looking around. His eyes landed on a little kitchen nook, equipped with a kettle, a coffee pot, and cupboards. Louis walked over to open one. “They have tea!” He said excitedly. 

Harry chuckled. “So you’re not a coffee person?” 

Louis shook his head. “Not at all. I’ll drink tea anytime though.” 

Harry leaned against the counter next to Louis. “Make us some tea then. We can drink our tea and pretend to be grownups.”

Louis laughed out loud at that and grabbed a box of Earl Grey out of the cabinet. He set the kettle to boil and opened the other cupboard looking for mugs. “What sort of mugs do teachers have?” He mused. 

Harry pulled out a yellow mug shaped like a duck and stared at it for a minute before bursting into loud, bright laughter. 

“It has a beak and everything!” Louis said gleefully, adoring Harry’s laugh more than he expected. He closed his eyes and pulled out the first mug his hand landed on. He read it out loud. “World’s Best Grandma.” He looked up at Harry. “Do we have any teachers old enough to be grandmothers?” 

Harry shrugged. “Maybe it’s been here a while?” 

Louis grimaced and picked a different mug, white with black text. “Math is better when I’m the teacher.” Louis chuckled. “I dunno Mr. Anderson...even you can’t make calculus interesting.” But he kept the mug and poured two cups of water. 

Louis handed Harry a tea bag and followed him to one of the couches by the window. Outside it poured and the trickle of raindrops on the windowpane added a comforting soundtrack to the hours. “I love the rain.” Louis sighed. 

Harry smiled. “I do too. My sister thinks I’m crazy, but I’ve always preferred rainy days over sunny days.” 

Louis nodded. “It’s cause rain makes everything better. It makes things green and new again.” 

“Exactly,” Harry said, and his toes fell against Louis’s ankle. Louis looked at his tea and tried not to smile as widely as he wanted to. 

“Have you heard back from that writing competition yet?” Louis asked, taking a sip of his tea and looking up at Harry again. 

Harry shook his head. “I’m supposed to hear back sometime this week.” They sat down, Louis curling up in the corner and kicking his shoes off to rest his feet on the sofa, Harry facing Louis and stretching his feet out long. “I’m most excited for the writing program. I’m wanting to take Miss Henson’s Fiction Writing class next year and it would be good practice for me, I think.” 

“I was going to take Fiction Writing next year too!” Louis said with a grin. 

Harry nudged him with his foot. “We should definitely be writing buddies.” 

Louis hummed. “I’d like that.” He sipped his tea and watched the rain out the window. “So is writing what you want to do? Like for a career?” 

Harry nodded. “You too?” 

“Yes,” Louis said emphatically. “There’s nothing else I can imagine doing.”

Harry opened his mouth to say something when the door to the lounge opened. A woman walked in and Louis immediately recognized her as Mrs. Twist, one of the counselors. She smiled at the two boys sitting on the sofa and walked over to make herself a cup of coffee.

“Hello, Harry. Louis.” She said as she stirred in creamer. “Having a good afternoon?”

“Hi, mum,” Harry said and Louis gaped at him. Harry bit his lip and grinned sheepishly at Louis.

“I didn’t know you two were related!” Louis said. Mrs. Twist chuckled and Harry ducked his head, smiling lightly. Looking between them, now that he was paying attention, Louis could see the resemblance. They both had dark hair and kind eyes, and smiles that filled their faces.

“Different last names can be confusing.” She said, sitting down in a chair near them to sip her coffee.  

“I get that,” Louis said. “My mom and I have different last names too.” 

“I remember that from your file, Louis.” Mrs. Twist said. “And Harry’s been talking about you a bit more lately.” 

“Mum.” Harry groaned and covered his face with his hands. 

Mrs. Twist ignored him. “I hadn’t heard you were bullied, Louis, before Harry told me. I’m sorry to hear it.” 

Louis shrugged. “It is what it is.” 

“Well, it shouldn’t be happening. If you ever need anything, you let me know. You can come hide in my office whenever you like.” She smiled kindly and Louis could tell she wasn’t patronizing him. It made him feel a bit more grounded. 

“Thank you, Mrs. Twist.” He said into his teacup. This relief from the bullies almost seemed too good to be true, Harry and his mother teaming up to help him. But he’d take it as long as he could.

“Now, Harry love,” Mrs. Twist said, standing and walking towards the door, “you're not abusing the teacher lounge power I gave you, are you?”  

Harry rolled his eyes fondly at his mother. “Not unless making tea is an abuse of power.” 

She chuckled and stood. “Good. Enjoy the rest of the hour. Have a good week, Louis.” She left the room.

“Your mom is very nice,” Louis said, glancing back at Harry, whose cheeks were bright red between his fingers. 

Harry chuckled into his hands. “Thanks for not saying she’s hot. I’ve gotten that before and it’s just weird.” 

Louis made a face. “I get that about my mum too. She had me young so when I was on the soccer team, it’s all I heard.”

Harry peeked up at Louis. “I hope it’s alright that I told her about the bullies.”

Louis smiled and reached out a foot to nudge Harry in the thigh. Harry smiled at Louis, and it made his heart melt. “Totally alright.” He said softly. 

  
  


Louis sipped his tea latte and texted Harry, almost missing Liam, who came over to sit next to him just in time for the homeroom bell to ring. It was another rainy day, and easily the most relaxed morning he’d had in a long time. He’d woken up to a text from Harry telling him to turn on the radio because the classical station was devoting the entire day to Beethoven. He and his mum had listened while they got ready for the day, and Harry texted him during particular pieces.

Liam nudged him in the shoulder, pulling Louis away from Harry’s rave about Beethoven’s Fantasia. Liam glanced down at Louis’s phone in his hands. 

“Texting Harry?” He asked with a smirk. 

Louis gaped at him. “How did you…?” It’s not that he’d been hiding his afternoon adventures with Harry from Liam and Zayn. He just hadn’t been bragging about it either. 

“Zayn saw you two visiting the teacher’s lounge on Monday. And you’ve mentioned him a bit more than usual.” Liam giggled. “Which is saying something.” 

“Liam.” Louis groaned. 

“It’s alright,” Liam said good-naturedly. “We understand.”

“You do?” Louis replied skeptically. 

Liam shrugged. “You’ve been crushing on Harry for years,” he whispered. “And it seems Harry’s crushing back.” 

Louis’s eyes went wide. “What? No, that’s not… I don’t think…” Louis sputtered, and Liam smirked again. 

“Don’t worry, Lou. Your secret is safe with us.” Liam leaned closer. “Besides, you deserve someone who cares about you like that.” 

Louis opened his mouth to respond but didn’t get to reply. Mr. Anderson started calling roll and Liam pulled back waiting to hear his name. Louis sat back in his chair, thinking. 

_ Did  _ Harry have a crush on him? It seemed almost too good to be true. Not that Louis didn’t want that. He’d be perfectly content getting to see Harry’s dimpled smile every day, getting to talk with him all the time, getting to read his writing. Getting to be near him, hold his hand… 

A buzz from his phone stopped his rapid thoughts.  _ I shouldn’t think about kissing Harry in the middle of roll call _ , he fleetingly thought as he picked up his phone. There was a text from Harry. 

_ I won the writing competition!  _

Louis grinned big and ignored Liam looking over at him. He texted back a quick congratulations and wondered if there was a way he could get an advanced copy of Harry’s work. Maybe he could even get Harry to sign it.

 

 

“You really like this boy, don’t you?” Harry’s mum sat at her desk, her hands resting in her lap. 

Harry shuffled from foot to foot and shrugged. “Yeah. I do.” 

Anne smiled. “I could tell. What’re you planning on doing with him today?” 

“I thought we’d go to the ceramics lab. Mr. Nelson said we could come in and fool around on the wheel.” 

Anne lifted an eyebrow. “Just as long as that’s the only fooling you’re doing. For now, anyway.” 

“Mum!” Harry gasped, pretending to be appalled. She laughed. 

“Go have fun, love.” She said. “I’ll see you after school.” 

Harry smiled and turned to go. “Have a good afternoon, mum.” He left her office and dashed off towards Mrs. Johnson’s classroom. He shut the classroom door right behind him just as the bell rang. 

He saw Louis sitting in a desk on the near side of the classroom and felt his heart twinge. Louis was waiting for something and Harry desperately wanted to think it was him. The past few weeks of spending free period adventuring around school with Louis had become his favorite part of every day. He felt his heart leaping out of his chest and tugging him towards Louis. 

Harry smiled to himself and went over to Louis. Harry placed his hands on either side of the desk and waited for Louis to look up. When he did, Harry had to fight to remember what he’d wanted to say. Louis’s blue eyes looked up at him with hope and joy, like Harry had somehow just made his day. Harry smiled so hard his dimples showed up. 

“Want to come to the ceramics lab with me today?” Harry asked. Louis leaned forward on the desk, still looking up at him. Harry felt Louis knock his foot into Harry’s.

“Sounds great. I’ve never done ceramics before.” Louis said, and Harry was sure he caught a tinge of relief in his tone. 

“I’ll teach you how to use the wheel. It’s very soothing.” Harry smiled as Louis gathered his bag and stood. 

“Great.” They shared a smile for a moment, then Harry led them up to Mrs. Johnson. He handed her the passes from his mother and led Louis out the classroom door. 

“What is the wheel exactly?” Louis asked as they walked towards the ceramics lab. 

“Oh, it’s great. It’s basically this spinning disk that you put clay on and mold into shape. Mr. Nelson said I could bring you some time to teach you.”

“I thought about taking ceramics next year, actually,” Louis said. “Senior year means lots of electives, right?”

Harry chuckled. “I just wish I could take all writing classes.” 

“You and I both,” Louis said. “Hey, how have you been getting us passes out of free period every day? We’ve been doing this for weeks.” 

Harry shrugged bashfully. “My mom will usually give me a pass if I ask for it. I don’t abuse it often, but I talked to Mrs. Johnson about my idea of helping you avoid bullies and she was on board with it.”

“You told her about the bullies?” Louis asked curiously. 

“Uh, no. Not really.” Harry said, trying to avoid the question. He’d actually told Mrs. Johnson that he was hoping to get up the courage to ask Louis out. She’s been endeared and talked to his mother, which was mortifying, but they’d both agreed to his plan. 

The mortification was worth it. Louis was walking next to him, their hands occasionally grazing, and he seemed excited to spend more time with Harry. It made him dizzy with delight. 

“What did you say then?” Louis pressed, a small smirk on his face. 

“I just… you know…” Harry trailed off as several things happened at once. 

Carson appeared at the end of the corridor, arms crossed, flanked by four lackeys. Harry felt Louis tense up next to him and Carson began stalking down the hallway. 

“Haven’t seen you in a while, Tomlinson,” Carson said, just loud enough for Louis and Harry to hear him. “What if I’ve been missing you?” He pretended to pout. 

“Lou,” Harry whispered, “do you trust me?” He glanced over and saw Louis looking at him, confusion and resignation in his look. 

“Yeah, why?” Louis said with a frown. 

“Right.” Harry turned, reached out and grabbed Louis’s hand, and flashed him a grin. “Run.” 

And he pulled Louis along, racing along the hallway. 

“Harry, you’re ridiculous!” Louis said with a laugh, but he sped up to keep pace with Harry’s longer legs, not letting go of Harry’s hand for an instant. 

They dashed around a corner, into the hall where the Principal’s office and the counselor offices were located. Harry saw his mum stick her head out of her office and he waved. 

“Hi mum.” He said as he pulled Louis past, breathless already. 

“Harry, what on earth…?” 

But they didn’t linger. Harry rounded the next corner, and Louis pulled them out the door to the front lawn. Instead of running to the parking lot, Louis dove behind the bushes near the front of the building, tugging Harry behind him. The landed side by side underneath an open window, out of breath and red-faced. 

“Carson!” They could just hear Harry’s mum through the window. “Do you have a hall pass?” 

They didn’t hear what he said. They did, however, hear Anne give him and his friends detention for running in the halls. 

Louis looked over at Harry. “God, I really love your mother.” He said, breathing heavily. 

“You and me both,” Harry replied. They caught each other’s eyes and burst into laughter, only to shush each other a second later, gripping each other’s hands, lying practically chest to chest, their eyes alight with mirth. 

They finally caught their breath and calmed their laughter, and it was then that Harry realized just how close they were. Their noses were two inches apart, their hands still clasping each other’s, and Harry could see the gold flecks in Louis’s eyes. He could feel Louis’s breath on his lips and he swallowed hard. 

Louis cleared his throat and propped himself up on his elbow. He didn’t move away, just lifted his face out of kissing range, leaving one hand in Harry’s. Harry felt both relieved and heartbroken. He propped himself up on his arm too. He didn’t let go of Louis’s hand.

“Do you suppose we should stay here?” Louis asked. 

Harry shrugged. “They certainly won’t find us here. And I bet mum sent them back to class.” 

Louis flopped over onto his back, resting their clasped hands on his chest and looking up at Harry. Even though it was rainy, the way the bushes had grown didn’t let much rain through to where Harry and Louis sat. They could hear the light taps of raindrops on the branches above them but remained mostly dry. 

Harry looked at Louis, took in his eyes, the way they crinkled when he smiled, the way his hair fell across his face. He thought about how enthusiastic Louis had been when Harry had told him about winning the writing competition, and how encouraging Louis had been when Harry had shared the winning piece with him. 

Louis smiled softly, and Harry grinned back, wondering how he got so lucky, and if he’d be brave enough to take the chance lying right in front of him. 

 

 

Louis was almost to Mrs. Johnson’s classroom when he saw Harry walking towards him in the hall. He grinned, and when Harry grinned back he found that he hadn’t been able to control himself around Harry in a long time. Not where his smiles were concerned. 

“Hey, Lou,” Harry said as he walked up to him. 

“Hey Haz,” Louis replied easily. “Want to go for a walk?” 

Harry’s grin spread across his face so much Louis thought he might burst. “I’d love to,” Harry said, and Louis felt his heart do a little jump. “Let me just drop off our passes with Mrs. Johnson.” 

Louis nodded and waited for him in the doorway. He watched as Harry handed the passes to Mrs. Johnson, who glanced at Louis before asking Harry something Louis didn’t catch. Whatever it was turned Harry’s cheeks pink and Louis thought he very much liked the look of Harry in pink. 

Harry bid Mrs. Johnson goodbye and walked back over to Louis. He leaned against the other side of the door frame, their feet touching. 

“I’m ready when you are,” Harry said, his whole torso angled towards Louis, just as close as they’d been yesterday. Louis looked up at him, Harry’s slightly taller frame curled over him. He couldn’t handle how gone he was for this boy.

Louis grinned. “Let’s go.” 

Harry matched Louis’s pace and let their hands graze each other. Louis couldn’t get the smile off his face, so he decided to stop trying. 

“Where are we going?” Harry asked curiously. 

“I thought maybe we’d go off campus,” Louis said with a sly grin.

Harry gasped and stopped completely, clutching his hand to his heart. “Louis. You’re taking me off campus?” He giggled to himself and Louis couldn’t help but giggle too. 

Louis shrugged. “There’s a park nearby that Liam, Zayn, and I go to when it’s not raining during lunch sometimes. It’s not far.” 

“Sounds great."

They walked and talked and brushed hands and Louis led them off campus. He felt a bit exhilarated, their escape from Carson the day before still fresh in his mind. He and Harry had spent the rest of the period lying under the bushes, listening to the rain and holding hands. 

It had Louis feeling giddy and when he’d passed Harry in the hall that morning, they’d locked eyes and grinned at each other and Louis had vaguely felt Liam pulling on his arm, asking him what had happened. 

It was a question Louis wasn’t sure he had an answer to. They’d held hands, and had spent at least an hour together almost every day for over a month. The way Harry had looked at him the day before had taken his breath away and his heart hadn’t eased into its usual beat till several hours after he’d arrived at home. 

Now, they walked through the park entrance and Harry spoke Louis out of his thoughts. 

“Lou, there’s swings!” And he darted towards the play structure. Louis chuckled and followed at a slower pace, content to just watch Harry’s exuberance. Harry leaped onto one of the swings and beckoned Louis over. 

Harry was already as high as Louis’s head when Louis kicked off his swing, but the familiar thrill of being swung back and forth made him jubilant. They swung for a solid fifteen minutes, seeing who could get the highest, how often they could swing in unison, and then tried jumping off the swings, seeing who could land the farthest. 

They finally settled on a bench nearby, nestled under a tree with a view of the rest of the park. Louis tried not to pay too much attention to how their thighs rested against each other but failed completely when Harry slung his arm around the back of the bench, and sort of around Louis’s shoulders. Harry was everywhere and everything and Louis was caught in getting lost in him. 

Louis closed his eyes and leaned his head back to take a deep breath. He tried not to think about the way Harry’s hair had brushed his arm as they’d sat down, how he could feel how warm Harry was or how strong his thighs were, or how, if he leaned back just right, Louis could feel Harry’s arm resting lightly on his shoulders.

“You alright?” Harry asked quietly, the earlier exuberance swung out of them. Louis thought he felt Harry’s fingers graze his shoulder. 

“I’ve been spoiled,” Louis replied, turning to look at Harry. “I can’t remember going this long without Carson harassing me in years. Aside from summers anyways.”

Harry smiled sadly. “I’m sorry no one noticed.”

Louis shrugged. “Liam and Zayn did but anytime they would offer to do anything, I told them not to. I was never afraid of Carson.” He shrugged. “Mostly it was annoying, having my bag ripped open every day and getting pushed in the halls.” 

“You don’t seem that much worse for wear though.” 

Louis shook his head. “I guess I have a thick skin.” 

“Why couldn’t Carson let it go? You kissing his friend, I mean.” Harry asked. 

Louis shrugged again. “My theory is that Carson had a crush and I just beat him to it. He’s never come out or anything so…” Louis paused. “Maybe he just doesn’t feel free to be himself.” 

It was something he’d thought about often, and he wondered how it would be for the entire school to think one thing of you when you were really somebody else. It made it easier to put up with Carson, even if Louis hadn’t yet found the courage to ask Carson for the truth. 

Harry must have thought similarly. “It still doesn’t give him the right to bully you.” 

Louis smiled. “Maybe. But we’re almost out of here. No one cares who you are in college.” 

“There are people who don’t care who you are now,” Harry said. “I don’t care. I like you as you are.” 

The last bit came out sounding like a confession and Louis searched Harry’s eyes. There was a bit of apprehension and shock, like Harry hadn’t quite meant to say that out loud. There was kindness there too, and fondness, though Louis wasn’t sure if he should believe that or not.  Louis smiled softly, letting the words wash over him. 

“I like you as you are too, Harry, for what it’s worth,” Louis said. 

Harry grinned and this time he actually touched Louis, tenderly curling his fingers around Louis’s shoulder and giving him a squeeze. Louis leaned into the touch and the two of them shared a slightly embarrassed, but definitely happy smile. 

“Do you…” Louis paused to take a breath, soaking up Harry’s smile like Louis was the world and Harry was a star he couldn’t help but soak up light from. “Would you like to come over to my place this weekend and do some writing? We could share work and my mom has this great tea cake recipe that she got from my grandma.”

Harry trailed his fingers around Louis’s shoulder. “I’d like that.” He said with a grin and a deep exhale. “I’d like that a lot.” 

  
  


Heavy grey clouds littered the sky on Saturday morning and Louis padded into his kitchen to make a cup of tea. His mum was already there making breakfast and she bid him good morning as he sat down at the bar. 

“The tea cake should come out of the oven in just a few minutes,” Jay said. “You’ve never requested it for a friend before.”

Louis shrugged and sipped his tea before replying. “Harry is… important.” His cheeks tinged pink, but Jay was devotedly paying attention to the bacon on the stove. “He’s been helping me out with Carson.” 

“So you’ve said,” Jay replied. “I got an email from Mrs. Twist a few weeks ago about your adventures.” She turned and looked at him, a knowing, motherly sort of smile on her face. “You seem to be rather important to him too.” 

Louis turned full on red at this and shrugged again. “I hope so.” He mumbled. 

Jay just hummed and dished up breakfast, setting a plate in front of Louis. 

“Where is everyone today?” Louis asked, realizing with a start that he hadn’t seen his sisters or brother all morning. 

“Lottie had soccer practice early this morning, Fizzy is visiting her dad, and both sets of twins are visiting their friends.” 

Louis looked at the clock. It read eleven in the morning. His eyes widened and he stood up quickly. “I need to clean my room. Harry’ll be here at one.”

Jay burst out laughing. “Harry  _ must _ be very important. I’ve never heard you say those words of your own volition.”

Louis grabbed his tea and breakfast and walked towards the hallway. “Yeah, thanks for breakfast, mom.” He flashed her a grin and she only laughed harder.

He scurried up the stairs, his mother’s laughter trickling up behind him. He set his breakfast on his desk and munched on a piece of bacon while he shoved clean clothes into drawers and dirty clothes in his hamper. He neatened his desk while eating his eggs and finished his toast after making his bed. 

It was just before one in the afternoon by the time he was done cleaning and he walked back downstairs to drop his plate and mug in the dishwasher. The tea cake sat on the counter and Louis pulled out two mugs for tea. He took in a deep breath. 

Harry was coming to his house. They were going to write together. Louis wondered vaguely if they’d end up sitting on his bed together or if Harry was more of a sprawl-on-the-floor type. Was Harry a cuddler? Would they just write in silence the whole time or would they do anything else? Should he think of movies to watch? Should he…?

The doorbell rang and interrupted his rapid-fire thoughts. Harry had arrived. 

“I’ve got it!” He shouted to the house, only to realize his mom was the only person there. She sat in the living room reading and gave him a smirk as he walked to the front door, feeling like the door was running away from him. He attempted a smile at her but was sure it came out more similar to a grimace. 

Finally, he reached the front door and opened it. Harry stood there, his bag slung over his shoulder, his hair falling in soft curls around his face, and his dimpled grin aimed right at Louis. 

“Hey,” Harry said. 

“Hey,” Louis said, and he smiled back, the tension and nerves falling from his shoulders. “Want to come in?” 

Harry nodded and squeezed past Louis to get inside. Louis shut the door behind him and saw his mom walking up to them. 

“Oh, Harry, this is my mother, Jay,” Louis said. Harry smiled and shook her hand.

“Nice to meet you, Harry,” Jay said with a grin at Harry and a glance at Louis.

“You too. My mom mentioned your bake sale muffins the other day.” Harry said. “She wanted me to do some snooping and see if you were planning on making them again this year.” 

Jay laughed. “Yes, I will be. I’ll make a few for her especially.” 

Harry chuckled. “She’ll love it.” 

“Good.” Jay looked between Louis and Harry. “Have fun you two. I’m down here if you need anything.” 

Louis interpreted that as “no funny business”. He nodded to her and led Harry up to his bedroom, sitting lightly on his bed. 

He hadn’t seen his bedroom through someone else’s eyes in a long time. Now Louis tried to see what Harry was seeing: books packed into a bookshelf by the closet, a desk covered with his laptop and several notebooks, his record player on top of his dresser, and his bed with a handmade quilt from his grandmother. 

Harry looked perfectly in place in Louis’s bedroom. Like he’d been born to be in Louis’s space, to make his presence known and to fill it up in places Louis didn’t realize were empty. He watched Harry glance around the room, taking in the old records hanging on the walls, the Aerosmith poster next to his door, and the still-pristine model of the solar system Louis had made for science class in the seventh grade. Harry poked at Pluto with an endeared smile and Louis thought for a moment that he didn’t ever want Harry to leave. 

“Your room looks like you,” Harry said, letting his bag fall to the ground and kneeling in front of the bookshelf. “Which book is your favorite?” 

Louis walked over and kneeled next to Harry. “Fahrenheit 451. Bradbury was an absolute genius.”

“I loved the Illustrated Man. My step-dad Robin is a big sci-fi fan.” Harry ran his fingers over the spines of books in Louis’s shelf. “Have you ever written sci-fi?” 

Louis shook his head. “I’ve been working on the same story for over a year. It’s a fantasy and historical fiction taking place in the Dark Ages.” 

Harry turned to him, eyes wide. “That sounds amazing.” 

Louis blushed. “I like writing it.” He shrugged. “But research is the hardest part.” 

“I guess that’s a benefit I have of writing personal essays,” Harry replied. “Most of it is my personal experience.” 

Louis chuckled and stood to get his laptop, carrying it to his bed and sitting down cross-legged. He patted the spot next to him and booted up his computer, pretending not to notice out of the corner of his eye how Harry pulled his own laptop and a folder out of his bag and hopped onto the bed. Their elbows bumped and Harry’s thigh rested just under Louis’s knee.

“What’re you working on right now?” Louis asked as he opened up his Google Drive. 

“I’m working on a piece for that writing course,” Harry replied. “It’s sort of a do-it-on-your-own-time thing, so I’m playing around with this week’s prompt.” 

“What is it?” Louis asked. 

Harry shuffled through the folder and pulled out a paper. “We’re supposed to do one prompt each week. I picked…” He ran his finger down the list. “This one. ‘If we were all forced to wear a warning label, what would yours say.’ And we have to write a thousand words.”

Louis raised his eyebrows, impressed. “I might steal that whenever I’m bored with my story.” 

Harry chuckled and they fell into silence as they typed away at their computers. Occasionally one of them would peek over the other’s shoulder, reading something and making a comment. This was how Louis found Harry resting his chin on Louis’s shoulder as they talked about the ramifications of making one of his characters gender fluid. 

Louis found very quickly that he loved writing with Harry. Harry had a quick mind and could present possibilities and ideas that Louis alone wouldn’t think of. They discovered they made a good team. Harry had a wide vocabulary and Louis was good at grammar and they ended up talking as often as they wrote. 

They’d been at it for several hours when Jay walked in, holding a tray. Louis dropped his head into his hands as she set it on the desk. 

“Oh! Harry, I forgot about the tea cake.” Louis said with a groan. 

“That’s why you have a mother with a good memory,” Jay said fondly. “Harry, I don’t know how you like your tea but Louis likes lots of milk and sugar so I just brought up everything and you can fix it however you like it.” 

They hopped off the bed and began mixing their tea, Harry taking his tea black, while Louis added lots of milk and sugar, just as Jay said. 

They thanked her and she began to walk out of the room. “Oh, Harry, would you like to stay for dinner?” She asked, pausing just outside the door.

Harry looked between her and Louis. Louis grinned. “You should. I’d like you to, if you want to.” Louis said. 

“That’d be great,” Harry replied, mostly to Louis. He turned to Jay. “Thanks.” 

“Anytime, love,” Jay said and she walked back downstairs. 

They took their tea cake and mugs back to Louis’s bed, sitting close together this time, their laptops forgotten for the moment. 

“This is a really good cake,” Harry said after a few bites. “Can I get the recipe?” 

“You bake?” Louis asked in surprise. 

Harry nodded. “My summer job is at the local bakery.” 

“Really?” Louis asked. “I’ll have to come visit you sometime then. Will I get free pastries?” He wiggled his eyebrows and grinned. 

“Maybe,” Harry said. “Only cause it’s you.” 

“Are you saying I’m special, Haz?” Louis asked teasingly. 

Harry just grinned. “Yes. Yes, I am.” 

Louis turned pink and laughed, a gleeful, blissful laugh that had Harry joining in a second later. If Jay had returned at that moment, she would have found them gazing at each other with no fear to be found. 

  
  


Harry met Louis outside Mrs. Johnson’s classroom the next Monday. He didn’t even have to ask if Louis was up for a walk because Louis smiled and gestured to Mrs. Johnson with a knowing twinkle in his eye. They walked in together, straight to Mrs. Johnson’s desk, and Harry handed over the passes.

“Want to go to the greenbelt behind school?” Harry asked as they walked out of her classroom. He let his fingers linger between Louis’s, who softly curled his fingers around Harry’s. 

“Sounds perfect.” Louis smiled and the way his eyes crinkled did funny things to Harry’s heart.  

They walked out the back door of the school and into the woods, the sound of the rippling stream becoming louder and louder in their ears as they neared it. 

“I always forget this place exists,” Harry said, pulling Louis along down the creek.

“I’ve come here sometimes. Liam and Zayn and I would come here during lunch.” Louis replied, looking around. “There’s a bridge a little ways up here that we would eat at.”

“Are they introverts too? I have no doubt you are.” Harry asked. 

Louis giggled. “Yes. What gave it away?” 

“The avoidance of big groups of people,” Harry replied wryly. “Although, to be honest, that’s a brilliant idea. I should have done that years ago.” 

“Maybe we would have hung out more if you had,” Louis said. The bridge came into view and they walked onto it, sitting down and dangling their legs off the edge. 

“I wouldn’t have minded,” Harry said. He put his hands behind him and leaned back, one arm resting against Louis’s back. Louis leaned into his arm a bit and let his legs swing. 

“I wouldn’t have either.” He replied. “This has definitely been the highlight of junior year.”

“Mine too,” Harry said. “I should have asked you for a walk ages ago.” 

“Ages?” Louis teased. 

“I just really like you,” Harry said. “It would have been nice.” He opened his mouth to continue but stopped himself. He wasn’t sure if it was too soon.  

Louis was silent for a moment and Harry glanced over at him. Louis looked thoughtful and avoided Harry’s eyes. “You say that…” Louis started, “that you like me. And I just kinda wonder…” He trailed off, looking away into the creek.

“Wonder what?” Harry prompted. 

“How you like me?” Louis played with his own fingers, twisting them around each other. “Like, do you think-I’m-cool like me or like…” He took in a deep breath and pushed out the words. “...you-want-to-kiss-me like me?” 

Harry glanced at Louis’s face, cast down to his lap, almost as if he was avoiding looking Harry in the eye. Harry swallowed. Might as well be honest. He looked down in his own lap and took in a deep breath. “I definitely want to kiss you.” 

The words hung in the air for a moment, the only sound was the crinkling of the stream beneath them and a few bird songs above them. Then, quietly, Louis spoke. “I definitely want to kiss you too.” He looked over at Harry’s hands. “That’s how I like you, anyways.” He finally looked up into Harry’s eyes, and Harry couldn’t help himself. 

He placed his hand on Louis’s cheek and breathed a sigh of relief. “God, I thought it was just me.” 

“Guess not,” Louis said, leaning into Harry’s touch. 

“I’ve liked you for years,” Harry said, feeling suddenly bold. “Niall kept telling me just to ask you out but I kept telling him that was too obvious.” 

Louis chuckled. “Isn’t the  _ point _ of asking someone out to be obvious?”

Harry shrugged. “I dunno. I didn’t want to freak you out.” 

“You definitely haven’t freaked me out,” Louis said and Harry all of sudden noticed just how close they were. “Not in a bad way, anyway.” Louis continued. “I’ve liked you for ages too. Liam used to tease me mercilessly about it.” 

“Used to?” Harry asked curiously. 

Louis shrugged. “He stopped teasing when you and I started hanging out. He told me you were into me.” 

“Did you believe him?” 

“Nope.” 

Harry leaned in closer, letting his nose brush Louis’s. “How about now?” 

“Definitely,” Louis said, and bridged the gap, meeting Harry’s lips with his own. 

It was a soft kiss, sweet and light, and Louis backed away after a moment, opening his eyes to look at Harry. Harry just grinned at him and leaned in to kiss him again. They stayed like that the rest of the period, kissing lightly and gently as the water lazily ran beneath them and the birds sang overhead. 

  
  


The week flew by and Louis found himself in a state of bliss. Liam and Zayn caught on almost the minute they saw him in chemistry after his walk to the greenbelt with Harry, and Liam couldn’t hold back several rounds of “I told you so, didn’t I?” 

Louis had to admit that he had. He didn’t mind. 

Harry was the type of boyfriend (they’d discussed it and the feeling was mutual) who would text Louis good morning and good night, would stop him in the halls just to say hi, and who would light up every time Louis said his name. They snuck away to the greenbelt twice more and even though they talked just as much as they had before, they somehow kissed an equal amount of time. 

It was Friday and Louis had asked Harry out on a date, a real date. He had planned on dinner at a nice restaurant and his mum had somehow gotten him tickets to a local singer-songwriter performing at a cafe in town. Harry was excited and had been listening to the musician on Spotify all week. His exuberance made Louis smile almost every time he thought of Harry, Friday, or the musician. 

Louis smiled as he washed his hands in the bathroom. Tonight, he and Harry would get a real date. Almost like they were grown-ups. The very idea thrilled him. 

The bell rang, pulling Louis out of his reverie. All at once, he became uncertain. Was that the warning bell? Surely he hadn’t missed it. He wasn’t that out of it, right? He hurriedly dried his hands and tossed the paper towel in the garbage. He had to get to class. He didn’t want to miss Harry and he  _ definitely _ didn’t want Carson to find him. 

He opened the door and groaned. 

“Been a long time, Tomlinson,” Carson said. He was once again flanked by two minions, each attempting to look menacing. “You know, it’s been a while since we’ve chatted, you and me.” Carson took a step into the bathroom and Louis took a step back. 

“Carson, it’s been weeks,” Louis said, surprised his voice sounded steadier than he actually felt. “Aren’t you bored by now?” 

Carson shrugged. “Maybe I like the chase.” 

“I’m not exactly sure what you think you’re chasing,” Louis said, trying to think quickly. He was ten steps away from getting his head flushed, he was sure of it. 

“You’ve always reminded me a bit of a squirrel, to be honest,” Carson said, taking another few steps, causing Louis to back up even more. 

“Does that make you a dog?” Louis asked. “Cause actually, that does make sense. Loyal to a fault, right buddy?” His back was against the sink now, his bag pressing into his back. 

“What do you think, boys?” Carson asked his friends without taking his eyes off Louis. “Should we beat him up? It’s been a long time, after all, lots to make up for.” 

His friends grunted approvingly and Louis forced out a laugh. 

“Yeah, really funny, like you could hurt a fly,” Louis said, sure Carson could hear his rapidly beating heart. “Are you sure you don’t want to just talk?” 

“Talk about what?” Carson spit out. 

Louis tried to shrug nonchalantly, but it came out a bit more like a spasm. “I dunno. LGBTQ rights are a fun topic. Want to start there?” He was being sassy, sassy enough to definitely get his head knocked in enough to postpone his date with Harry, but he couldn’t help himself. 

“I’ll tell you what we’ll start with, Tomlinson,” Carson said. “I’d like to see what you look like with a black eye.” 

He drew his arm back and Louis shut his eyes, willing himself to breathe out.  _ It’s easier if you’re relaxed. It’s easier if you’re relaxed. Relax, damn it. _

But the punch never came. Instead, the bathroom door opened and Louis heard Carson grunt. He opened his eyelids just a little and his eyes sprang open at what he saw. 

Harry was standing there, holding Carson’s arm back, and Mrs. Twist stood in the doorway, looking so frightening it made Louis wonder what Harry looked like when he was mad. Harry finally let Carson’s arm go and slid around him to get to Louis. 

Harry gripped Louis’s arm. “Are you alright, Lou?” 

Louis nodded. “Where did you even come from?” He asked breathlessly.  

“Carson,” Mrs. Twist’s voice interrupted their conversation. “you and your friends can walk yourselves to my office. I think there’s a few chores around the school that you can do during your free periods. We’ll come up with a schedule to better utilize your time. Starting with cleaning the gym locker rooms.” She said evenly. She motioned for them to leave the restroom, then looked over to Harry and Louis. 

“I want Mrs. Johnson to tell me you reported to her classroom within five minutes, do you understand me?” She said. “You’re free to use your passes and go to the ceramics lab or the greenbelt afterward, but you have to check in with her first.” 

“Yes, Mrs. Twist,” Louis said. “Thank you.” 

“You’re welcome, Louis.” She said, and she grinned at him softly. “Have fun tonight.” She winked and let the door shut behind her. Louis turned back to Harry. 

“Really though,” he asked, “where did you come from? How did you know I was in here?” 

Harry slid his arms around Louis’s waist and pulled Louis into a hug. “You’d texted me you were on your way and then never showed. I put two and two together.” 

“God, I really like you,” Louis said, nuzzling into Harry’s neck.

Harry pulled back. “We should get to class. My mum will have my head if we don’t show up.”

Louis nodded. “That was like something from a movie, you know.” 

Harry grinned. “I like to think I live in a rom-com.” 

Louis chuckled and pulled Harry in to kiss him. “Thank you.” He said between kisses. 

Harry hummed and kissed Louis deeply. It was a kiss with promise and Louis felt that promise to his toes.   
  


**Author's Note:**

> Find me on Tumblr [here](https://iamasphodelknox.tumblr.com/) and share the Masterpost for the story [here](https://iamasphodelknox.tumblr.com/post/175901357659/title-hiding-in-the-rain-author-asphodelknox) if you like it!


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